In a sport such as golf, baseball, or the like that involves the gripping of a club or a bat, gloves are used principally for protecting hands. When a hand assumes a state of gripping a club or a bat from an opened state, the shape of the hand changes significantly. Particularly, the back of the hand has significant changes in shape in the vicinities of the proximal phalanxes and the middle phalanxes. Therefore, if gloves are formed with a non-stretchable material such as leather, the glove is too stiff to provide a feeling of fitting, and the feeling when it is put on is impaired also. In contrast, in the case where gloves are formed exclusively with a mesh material or a stretchable material, a feeling of looseness is provided when it is put on, though good stretchability is obtained.
To solve the above-described problem, it has been proposed to provide notches in regions surrounding capitular parts of the proximal phalanxes of the second finger (forefinger) and the third finger (middle finger), and arrange a stretchable fabric in the notches (Patent Document 1). This proposal makes it possible to reduce discomfort by using a stretchable fabric locally, but the other portions still remain stiff, which leaves a drawback in the feeling when the glove is put on.
As another proposal, a glove is configured so that a feeling of fitting in a gripping state is improved by arranging a stretchable material in a part corresponding to the back of the hand, while an excessive-stretching preventing part is provided partially so as to be superimposed on the stretchable material (Patent Document 2). This proposal has a problem in that since a difference between a stretchable area and a non-stretchable area is too great, a difference between portions is noticeable, for instance, a certain portion fits well to the back of the hand whereas another portion does not fit thereto, and a problem that a feeling of looseness is provided when it is put on although good stretchability is obtained.
Further, as another proposal, a glove is configured so that longitudinal division is provided by arranging individual parts corresponding to respective finger areas, so that the glove follows the lateral stretching between the finger areas (Patent Document 3). However, since the stretching in the longitudinal direction is not taken into consideration, this proposal has a problem in that complicated three-dimensional changes in shape of the back of the hand cannot be followed.
[Patent Document 1] JP 11-178973 A
[Patent Document 2] JP 3677420 B
[Patent Document 3] JP 2005-281872 A